New Police Forensic Collaboration Model

Tools

A police forensics centre of excellence will showcasegood practice techniques and innovation deliveredthrough a unique five force collaboration, according to Police Oracle.

The centre of excellence will amalgamate the forensic expertise of Derbyshire, Leicestershire,Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire into a single building in Nottinghamshire.This will contain fingerprint and DNA laboratories as well as emerging digital technology.

In an interview with PoliceOracle.com, Jo Ashworth, Director of Forensic Services for the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said that the building, called the Arrow Centre, will demonstrate the strength of the collaborated service.

She added: "We are being very innovative with the building specification and we are building laboratories that can be accredited as well as putting capability in there that we did not have before.

"The site will be future proof. I want use to demonstrate what this model looks like nationally and what we can deliver with forensics.

"It will also allow us to deliver an international forensics service across five forces."

The building, which is anticipated to be complete by next February, has been given a total of £920,244 from the Home Office's Innovation Fund.

Lancashire Constabulary is already conducting a pilot of Rapid DNA technology following a cash-injection from the fund. The five force collaboration will work with the constabulary during the project and if it proves a success, the technology and service will be delivered from the site.

Ms Ashworth added: "We want to have a one stop shop. "This will be the final jigsaw piece in the service for us. We will have kept the local aspects local as the scenes of crime officers will remain in the regions overseen by operational case managers."